Hair dryers can be divided into three main structural types: hand-held, wall-mountable and table-top types. Among these three types, the portable hand-held type is probably the most commonly and widely used one which can be found in almost every modern household.
A hand-held hair dryer usually comprises an elongate barrel inside which an electric heater and a fan-blower are accommodated. Air for hair drying usually travels along the barrel in response to the accelerating force generated by the fan-blower. The accelerated air, heated or un-heated, is then caused to leave the hair dryer through a free end of the barrel. A handle is usually provided and connected to the barrel substantially at right angles to it and near its other end. This type of hand-held hair dryer is usually provided with a length of flexible power cord which is connected to the hair dryer through an opening at the bottom part of the handle portion.
A major advantage of this hair dryer type is that it can easily be moved around and flexibly positioned about the head to achieve optimum hair drying or styling. However, a user has to hold the hair dryer throughout the entire drying process which can be a tiring exercise. In addition, since a user must hold the dryer in one hand, only one hand is free to use other styling tools such as a brush or curling iron. Sometimes an unwary person may be burnt by the hot barrel of a hand-held hair dryer which has been left lying around just after use. Another disadvantage of this hair dryer is that the long power cord may easily get entangled and requires constant dis-entanglement.
Wall-mounted hair dryers are most commonly found in commercial or recreational establishments such as hotels or swimming pools. This type of hair dryer usually comprises a bulky and permanently wall-mounted compartment housing inside which an electric heater and a fan-blower are mounted. In one form of this hair dryer, the air-outlet is usually fixed on the compartment housing with an adjustable air exit-angle. In an alternative form, the air-outlet is connected via a length of flexible hose to the compartment.
This wall-mounted type of hair dryer is particularly useful when a user wishes to have his/her hair dried within a short time. This style of hair drying, more commonly known as the "ready-to-go" drying style, is particularly suitable for the wall-mounted type since both hands of the user are left free and a user can therefore use his/her fingers to plough or comb through the hair to help speed up hair drying.
However, when using a wall-mount hair dryer, a user usually has to bend or stoop their body and move his/her head around to get close to the air-outlet in order to enjoy the benefits of hands-free operation. It is also usual that a user has to remaining standing all the time while using the dryer. When a user is too tall or too short compared to the mounted position of the hair dryer, its use becomes awkward, uncomfortable and even difficult.
Moreover, because a wall-mounted unit is usually permanently mounted, it would be difficult to relocate it once installed. This is probably the main reason why the wall-mount type is not commonly used at homes even though it provides great benefits.
The table-top hair dryer is a hybrid between the wall-mount and table-top types. This hair dryer type provides hands-free operation while allowing a hair dryer to be moved around. Such a hair dryer can be moved to and placed in almost any place and can operate from wherever the user feels most comfortable or convenient. It is especially useful when a user wishes to dry the hair on the sides or the back of the head and particularly so when he or she does not have very flexible hand or arm joints.
With such a table-top hair dryer, a user can for example enjoy hands-free hair drying and styling under the comfort of room air-conditioning and with the luxury of sitting in front of a dressing table or even below a shelf on which a hair dryer appropriately stands. Also, it would be more convenient for an adult to take care of the hair of a child using a table-top hair dryer when both his/her hands are left free.
A desk-top hair dryer usually comprises a conventional patentable hand-held hair dryer and a table-top stand which is permanently mounted to the body of the hair dryer. The table-top stand is usually a retractable tripod which can be pivotally expanded to form a supporting base. However, because of the built-in stand, the handle of the hair dryer usually becomes too bulky and is quite difficult or uncomfortable to use as a hand-held hair dryer.
Similar to a hand-held hair dryer, a table-top hair dryer usually has an un-restrained length of power cord which is a potential source of hazard that requires particular attention. Furthermore, the centre of gravity of a table-top apparatus having a tripod-type stand is usually quite high which means that such a hair dryer can easily topple over when supported only by a tripod-type stand.
From the above, it would be appreciated that each hair dryer type possess useful and advantageous features which are characteristic of their specific structural type. However, each hair dryer type also has some typical drawbacks. It would therefore be beneficial if an improved hair drying apparatus having the advantages of more than one type of hair dryer while having their respective inherent disadvantages alleviated is provided.
For example, it would be beneficial if a hair drying apparatus having the combined advantages of hand-held and table-top type hair dryers but without having a bulky handle were made available. Thus, it would be convenient if a user can use the apparatus reversibly as a hand-held hair dryer without a bulky handle and as a table-hair dryer without a surplus length of annoying power cord.
Furthermore, it would also be desirable if there were provided a hair drying apparatus having the combined advantages of hand-held, table-top and wall-mounted type hair dryers which can be reversibly used in a different operating mode.